Since bursting onto the global scene with her 2019 crossover anthem “Toast”, 21 year old Koffee has been at the forefront of a whole new generation of Jamaican musical talent whose influence now resonates around the world. Today, Koffee officially announces her 2022 North American The Gifted Tour dates produced by Live Nation. The 24-date run will see stops including two performances at Coachella and shows in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, and more and will feature support from artists Ayra Starr and Buju at select dates. The tour kicks off on April 11th in Seattle and runs through early summer before wrapping up at Lightning In A Bottle Festival in Bakersfield on May 27th, marking a momentous return to the stage for the artist whom Billboardcalled “the most exciting reggae crossover artist in years.” Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 4th at 10 a.m. local time HERE.
The tour announcement follows Koffee’s most recent single and video, “West Indies” released last October. Produced by Iotosh, another of Jamaica’s young breakout stars, “West Indies” is a joyful celebration of Koffee’s West Indian heritage and a personal ode to the islands, full of her trademark messages of hope and positivity, accompanied by a video co-directed by Meji Alabi & Koffee herself that finds her crew and a host of inspiring local faces partying against a stunning backdrop of the cliffs of West End, Negril.
“West Indies” is just the latest musical statement from an artist that has reshaped, modernized and revitalized reggae, bringing it to a whole new audience. It comes on the back of an incredible few years for the Spanish Town-born artist, who made history in 2020 by becoming the first female and youngest ever artist to win the Best Reggae Album award at the GRAMMYS for her Raptureproject. Alongside a string of high profile musical collaborations (including J Hus, Gunna, Daniel Ceasar), Koffee also recently collaborated on campaigns with the likes of Nike Air Jordan and Clarks.
Purchase tickets above, see full tour routing below and stay tuned for more from Koffee coming soon.
Upcoming Live Dates North America
4/11/2022 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo*
4/12/2022 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
4/14/2022 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield or Masonic*
4/16/2022 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Festival*
4/17/2022 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
4/19/2022 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
4/23/2022 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Festival*
4/27/2022 – Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore Miami
4/28/2022 – St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live!
4/30/2022 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues – Orlando
5/2/2022 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground
5/3/2022 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore Silver Spring
5/5/2022 – Toronto, ON @ History
5/7/2022 – Montreal, QC @ MTELUS
5/9/2022 – Boston, MA @ Big Night Live
5/11/2022 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
5/12/2022 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17
5/14/2022 – Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall
5/15/2022 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues – Chicago
5/17/2022 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
5/18/2022 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
5/20/2022 – Gulf Shores, AL @ Hangout Music Festival*
05/26/2022 – Santa Cruz, CA*
05/27/2022 – Bakersfield, CA @ Lightning In A Bottle Festival*
*Not a Live Nation date
About Koffee:
Me? I’m just down to earth.” 21-year-old musician Mikayla “Koffee” Simpson may be small in stature but her modesty –and height –belies huge amounts of talent. The 5’0, self- described “sing-jay-guitarist” is one of the most exciting, forward thinking, globally focused talents to emerge in recent years and has reshaped, modernised and revitalised reggae for a whole new global audience.
Born in Spanish Town, just outside of Kingston, Jamaica, Koffee was bought up alone by her hard working mother, her father having left for New York when Koffee was an infant. “Mummy struggled so I didn’t have to,” remembers Koffee. An occasional actress who works for the Ministry of Health and who gives sex education and body positivity talks to young people, Koffee’s mum sheltered her daughter from a lot of the violence that afflicted their community. “I was aware of curfews and shootings growing up but it wasn’t necessarily a reality for me because I didn’t experience anything directly,” she says. “I would hear about gunshots over in [neighboring] Gordon Pen, but where I live, in Eltham View, it’s a mellow vibe. It’s a pretty friendly community, we know each other for the most part and we get along well.”
Though she was able to avoid explicit scenes of bloodshed, the socio-political problems that permeate parts of Jamaica have seeped into her music, helping to make Koffee the artist she is today. “With a lot of my music, it’s about entertaining people while highlighting problems in order to try and find a solution. I genuinely want to make the world a better place.”
This positivity shines throughout Koffee’s music and manifests itself in her success. Her 2019 debut Rapture EP took the sounds of new Jamaica and presented them to the world, culminating with Koffee becoming both the first ever female and youngest ever artist to win the Best Reggae Album award at the GRAMMYs. A bona-fide breakout star, Koffee has collaborated with the likes of J Hus, Gunna, Protoje and Daniel Ceasar, recently stepped on stage with WizKid in front of 20,000 people at London’s legendary O2 venue, fronted global campaigns for the likes of Nike Air Jordan and Clarks and performed the title track to this year’s acclaimed The Harder They Fall film on a stacked soundtrack that featured the likes of Jay-Z, Jadakiss, Barrington Levy, Cee Lo Green, Backroad Gee and Lauryn Hill.
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Connect With Koffee:
Spotify | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook |Website
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Koffee
Duncan Will | duncan@orienteer.us
Live Nation Concerts
Monique Sowinski | moniquesowinski@livenation.com
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